A beautiful note posted on one of our social media platforms read, “Those who are walking a very messy path, spiritual or otherwise, in the Word are the ones who the Lord makes intentional efforts to be near, to honor with his love and attention… Maybe messy nonexperts shed light on a path less traveled but still just as sweet?”
A lot of wisdom in that statement
This Easter, I imagine many of us are holding a world that feels incredibly broken. The list – with a wry smile – is long. For me, there are concerns around our adult children (when does that end?), worries over the senseless violence in Ukraine spirally still further out of control, frustrations around places where faith systems appear to have been weaponized, and questions around the way an increasingly online future unfolds for our church.
Into our worries, let’s take a breath, and hear Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John: “Are there not 12 hours in the day?” What insights might these words offer?
12 hours of lights means 12 hours of dark
Life is always about balance. The Lord’s Divine Providence holds us perfectly in that middle place, balanced between light and dark, a place where we can choose, a place where we uncover freedom for our souls. A place to embrace a life of love.
Light carries its own clarity. As does darkness.
The clarity of a bright day is obvious. But what of the clarity of darkness?
Maybe this – maybe the clarity of darkness is even greater than the clarity of light.
Imagine the power of a candle. Or a star. Or a kind face around fire.
The clarity I think we can rediscover in the dark, if we so choose, is to lean with ever greater intensity towards first-things-recognizably-first. Towards a love not just as a pleasant emotional wash over our lives, but as a disciplined approach to a meaning-filled life focused on service.
Times of darkness present stark choices. One choice is a simple retreat into our own comforts. Another choice might be towards discomfort – and maybe even some growth. That path will be less traveled but just as sweet. 12 hours of darkness preparing us to welcome 12 hours of light.